Silver Wymn

I've always wear jewelry. I never leave home without it. My collection has varied over the years, but mostly it consists of turquoise and natural stone rings. In the 60s, I didn't have a lot of money to spend on jewelry - mostly I traded paintings with my friends for silver rings. I usually wore a necklace too - whether it was small beads or large.

So, now, here is my current collection. I have two bracelets - they are both of the inlay designs from the Hopi Indians. One is a design and the other is the man in the maze design. I have eight rings - a large bird ring with a garnet; another bird design head of a bird on a feather; a turquoise ring from Cerillos, NM; a large shadowbox turquoise rings; an opal ring; a silver design ring (bought from the Folsom Prison gift shop); a light blue turquoise ring. The necklace is one I made of silver charms with some seed beads.

The background is a collage I made for my cube at work - now it's in my art room.

Another Day Inside

It is sunny this afternoon, but the winds are really kicking up the dust and debris. My asthma does not do well on days like this, so I decided to stay in. For my activities in the art room, please see my Art Now! blog.

Today's picture is my fireplace in the living room. It is a feature that made me fall for the house. I had always wanted a Southwestern house and the kiva fireplace looked so inviting in the living room.

Alas, we don't use the living room much. The fireplace is gas-operated, but it sucks the air out of the room like any fireplace - I think we've had a fire in it about four times total in three years.

I hang out in the living room sometimes - sit on the sofa and read. I usually fall asleep on the couch - when I slow down, I fall asleep. Old age I guess - or everyone called me lazy when I was growing up for preferring reading over just about anything - including chores. Odd how a perception of yourself can be formed in your mind by the comments of other people when you are young. I am still reading though, so it can't bother me that much.

We had a typical Pennsylvania brick fireplace in our living room when I grew up. I always wished it was bigger and I didn't mind getting the wood for it - but my parents didn't light it much. It was just a hole on the wall with a dead deer above it (a story for another day).

Sunday, Sunday

Photo: covered tray (used to be black), handmade cards and claywork

Mike is working on the taxes - so I am playing. It's not time for my type of help yet, he tells me. Errr?

Not to question anything, I played yet again today. I thought this is what retirement would mean to me - time to do what I want. I don't apologize for it.

Well this morning I didn't do what I wanted - I cleaned the bathroom, bedroom and kitchen. The vacuum cleaner is still standing in the living room. I got in a drudge mode and I needed out. I have this little system to make the beds, clean the bathroom, etc. I hate it cleaning - I mean with a passion - but it must be done - need the keep the house ready in case someone wants to see it (not in 8 weeks so far). I guess it's hope against hope.

Anywoooo - I popped in some Homicide: Life on the Street DVDs and I had my art mojo workin'.

I finished off the tray - I covered it in handmade paper. It turned out pretty good. I also had the clay stuff from yesterday. I made my weekly cards to Mom and my mother-in-law, Mary. I thought I'd be bold with spring colors.

Today was Clay All Day

I don't rhyme all the time - woops - but today was all about clay. I finally had all my tools gathered: clay, pasta machine, sticks and stuff - and a book from the library for ideas. Well, the project from the book didn't quite go the way I wanted it to - I still need some shape-cutting tools. So I just did my own thing and played.

I had a face form (don't be afraid, Robin - they won't come alive at night and hurt you), so I mixed up some stone-like clay and went to town.

Clay is really funny stuff - you have to condition it - smooth it in your hands until it gets pliable enough to put it in the pasta machine for further conditioning. I had some gold and reddish clay left over from some pendants I made last time - so I used that for a hanging thing - it's too heavy to be a pendant, but I thought I could hang it somewhere.

I made all the shapes and took my oven into the kitchen. Mike was all excited that I was baking something (poor guy) - but then he found out it was clay. He keeps hoping I will turn into a house goddess, but I'm too busy being an art goddess. *grin*

Magic of Nature - March 27, 2009

This scraggly bush sits outside my gate to to patio. In the spring and summer, it is alive and green. Then winter comes to New Mexico, then this bush turns into sticks. Sticks. It gets brown and looks like it's dead. All winter, the sticks had their dried up red buds on them. The branches were old dried sticks.

Last week it was warm. All the buds started coming out - of course, then it snowed last night.

Today, I go outside to photograph some more clouds - and bam - there are green leaves on that old bush - unbelievable. All the plants here in New Mexico have to fight for their lives with the wind, blowing dust, no water and being at 5000+ feet. You gotta give them kudos for just being here.

Project 365 - Photography

Photo: Storm clouds moving on March 26, 2009

Here we go. I am going to take a picture a day for a year - and create art with it. Here are my rules:

1. Take my camera with me if I go out.


2. If I don't go out, I'll take pictures in my home or in my front yard.


3. I will take the pictures over a week's time and make some sort of art with them.


4. Thoughts I have at this moment - stick the photos on a foam board and do art around them.


5. Put the photos on a 4x4 watercolor paper square and design on the fly.

6. Have a lot of fun and not make it a chore - or a groan.

I'll have a journal of my year as it goes on.